Man Down
by theolivetree
Summary: As we can all say, the scene in which the Wolverines headquarters is blown up is one of the most memorable scenes in the movie, Red Dawn. As the survivors run away, Robert trips and falls. What if he wasn't ok… T just in case
1. Chapter 1

So I've literally watched this movie twice this weekend. I had to write something to honor its greatness. This is what I came up with. Oh, and I own none of the characters and all that jazz.

Jed POV

Run. Run faster. Keep running. Don't stop. Check back. Look forward. Dodge tree. Jump creek. Run. Run faster. Keep running. Don't stop. Check back. Look forward. STOP. Check back. Man down.

Matt POV

Jed was leading. I was trailing. We were all running. The Koreans had found us. I don't know how they did, but they managed to find our mine shaft. They invaded. They lowered the numbers of our group. That didn't stop us though. We were still running. Until Robert fell.

3rd P POV

"Robert! Get up"

"I… I can't…"

"Yes you can."

"We'll help you"

"Ya, come on"

"Ok… "Robert takes a deep breath, "Let's go."

Jed POV

We ran until I stopped. I stopped when I felt safer than I had earlier. We settled down. The girls gathered fire wood. I sent Mattie and Daryl to scan the perimeter. I made Robert stay with me. We went down to the stream to collect water. Something about him seemed off. His skin was deathly pale and his eyes were glazed over. He walked on unsteady feet. I helped him sit down on a rock. He almost slid off.

"Robert, what's wrong?"

"I'm ok… I'm fine" He responded quickly, too quickly. There was a waver in his deepening voice. I didn't believe a word he said.

"I'm not as blind as my brother. You need to tell me what's bothering you. I want to help you but I can't if you don't tell me what's wrong"

"It hurts…" His voice was barely a whisper in the wind now. _Crud. _

"Where"

"Here" He grabbed at his ribs._ Pudo. _I made eye contact with him before lifting up the hem of his shirt. I found a mess. Even in the dim lighting I was able to see the bruising. It was bad.

"On a scale of one to ten how bad is the pain?" No reply. "Robert!" _Wake up! Come on! _I smacked him across the face. He didn't move. He had entered the world of the unconscious.

Well... that's chapter one. Hope you enjoyed this as much as I did. The more you review the faster I update! Or ya know just review to make my day... Thanks!

~ Tree


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Here it is! Hope you like it**

**oh I still dont own this. **

Robert POV

Everything was black, but calm. Even though I couldn't see, I could. I could feel the world around me. I heard Jed calling out to me. I felt him slap me. I wanted to respond but my brain wasn't connecting with my mouth too well. Everything was slow, and the pace was slowing. Even with the slowing, I was still able to feel very well and boy, did I feel pain. Everything hurt but my ribs were killing me. Even though it was dark I could see the red glow coming off of them. _Why do they hurt so bad?... Must've been the falling ceiling… ya... that sounds about right…_

Jed POV

He had to pass out on me. Good lord. And I still had to get him back to the 'camp' for the night; his ribs needed to be bandaged and we had been gone for too long. _Fun night. _Being careful not to jostle him too much, I gently lifted him up. I debated carrying him fire man style, but I ended up going with bridal style. I didn't want all of his weight on his ribs. _One, two, three, UP! _I lifted the boy into my arms. He looked and felt so small. Gee, he was only a freshman, and he still should be. Sure, were all young but at least Tami and I were able to get out of high school. I mean Mattie and Erica are seniors, but, to be a freshman, boy did he seen small in my arms. And he was. As a freshman, Robert still had yet to reach his growth spurt. Instead of putting on weight and stretching out, he seemed to have lost weight over the past few weeks. As I held him in my arms, small and vulnerable to the world, I vowed to keep him safe. His parents were no longer here to watch over him. I would watch over him for them. Heck, I will protect him, as I will do for every other Wolverine. Thinking like that made returning to the camp a little easier, quicker. The burden of carrying a boy no longer seemed to be a problem. It seemed to be a privilege.

**Thanks for reading! I really appreciate reviews and suggestions! Thanks again**

**~ Tree **


	3. Chapter 3

**I don't own this movie or anything else I happen to mention in this chapter. Hope you enjoy!**

**Oh, and I just wanted to say thanks to the super sweet review I got earlier today! See reviews make me post faster!**

Chapter 3

Mattie POV

_ Where are they? Where did they go… ? To the river, that's right, to the river. _It's late now and Jed and Robert haven't returned. The girls had already gathered multiple arm loads of fire wood, started a fire, and began to cook dinner. Daryl and I have scouted out our area twice. All Jed and Robert had to do was walk down to the stream to get some water. I mean really, how hard could that possibly be?

"Mattie! Where are you going?" Erica looked concerned as I began to walk away from the others.

"To find my brother"

Jed POV

So the river may not have been far from our camp, and Robert couldn't have weighed more than 120 pounds, but late at night, after being ambushed and running through the forest, the 120 pounds just about did me in. I gently lowered the boy to the ground so I could stretch my back out for a moment. _I'm such an old man. _He looked peaceful in the moonlight, but lines of pain were beginning to destroy the image. _He's waking up. _

"Robert, Robert. Wake up." I gently rubbed his shoulder.

"Jed?" His voice cracked as he spoke.

"How ya feelin'?"

"I've been better" Robert then attempted to sit up. Once he reached the halfway point his face contorted in pain and he fell back down once again.

"Need a hand?" I offered joking, extending my hand towards him.

"Actually, I could use a hot bath, a big mac, a few milkshakes, oh and a Happy Meal." I cut him off before he could ask for more.

"Would you like fries with that, or will that be your order sir?" I teased.

"Ya fries would be great. Could you super-size that?"

"As you wish" We both started laughing. One of the gym teachers back in Spokane always showed his health class a movie every Friday. Each class he taught must have watched The Princess Bride at least four times before the term ended. He's been teaching for 22 years

We laughed until we cried, quite literally might I add. Me from joy and Robert from the pain laughing was causing him. I was trying to quite him, to end his pain, but it was too funny. We laughed and laughed and laughed, until we heard it…

_CRACK!_

"Get down!"

**My attempt at a cliff hanger... don't know if ill be doing that again. Well, thanks for your time. Please review!**

**~ Tree**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks for the review! I really appreciate it! Here's chapter 4. **

**I still don't own anything...**

Chapter 4

Robert POV

I'd have to say I was having a great time with Jed. Through the pain and suffering Jed was finding a way to keep me going. It was so opposite as to his normal behavior. We were to the point of tears from laughing until a branch snapped. It made a loud cracking noise and we dropped to the ground, our senses on hyper drive. There was a man coming towards us in suspicious way. He would stop every few feet and scan the area, as if he was looking for someone, someone specific. As he got progressively closer I was able to pick out a few of his features. He was taller than me and had dark hair. Jed and I loaded our guns and prepared to fire at the man before he could find us. He suddenly turned his head to the side and smiled. We had been spotted. Jed pushed me behind a tree, and as he was about to fire, the man yelled, "Jed! Robert! Where have you been?" It was Matt.

Jed POV

"Mattie! What the heck! You scared the socks off me!"

"You're one to talk Jed. Where have you been? I've been looking for you for a half hour!"

"Wow… sorry. Must've lost track of the time." I mumbled.

"Jed, where's Robert?"

"Over here Matt." Robert weakly called out. Once he called out I then remembered why it had taken me so long to return. As Matt began to walk towards the tree Robert was behind, I placed a light hand on his arm before he could get too far. He turned and looked at me.

"Mattie, he's hurt." I gently whispered.

"What!" He whisper-screamed.

"Shh. When we were leaving I think some of the ceiling fell on him and broke a few ribs." I responded in a hushed tone. "

"How's he feelin'?

"Not so hot. He passed out on me a few minutes ago but woke up right before you found us." Mattie was in shock. Robert hadn't let on that he was hurt at all earlier. "Hey. He's going to be fine. Don't sweat it. Let's get him back to camp."

"Sounds like a plan" Mattie shakily responded.

Matt POV

Jed and I approached Robert in silence, each thinking about the task ahead. I knew I didn't want to cause him anymore pain, and I'm sure Jed was thinking the same thing, but we really needed to move him and then wrap his ribs. We each took one of his arms and lifted him from the forest floor, the forest step in our long walk back to camp. Each step caused Robert pain; I could see it in his eyes. After a good twenty minutes of solid encouragement from Jed and me, the three of us had made it back to our camp for the night. It felt great to sit down.

**Yay! Hope you enjoyed! Please review! It makes me happy! **

**Until next time,**

**~ Tree**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Toni POV

I was sitting under a blanket with Erica asleep on my lap. Though the night was cold I was warm beneath her and the fleece blanket. We had been lucky enough to make it out alive; we lost two in the ambush. I was sitting up; awake because I was on watch. A few feet to my left, Daryl was lying face down on the ground asleep, exhausted from the day's events. Mattie was with us earlier, but he left to go find Jed and Robert who never returned from their excursion to find water. They had yet to return, and I was beginning to doubt it. Sleep was coming over me; I wanted to give in to the blackness and escape the horror story I was living. Just as I was about to go under I heard voices. At first I was afraid, but then the voices became recognizable and I felt safe. I drifted off knowing someone had my back.

Jed

We returned to a peaceful camp. The fire's embers still glowing, red hot, and everyone was asleep on the ground, breathing in and out at a steady pace. Mattie and Robert quickly sat down, incredible tired, not just physically, but mentally also. I wanted to let them go to sleep, but I couldn't yet. Robert still needed his ribs wrapped. I stood from my crouch and walked over to the small pile of our remaining supplies. We had been hit hard and were down to very little. _What did I get us into? _I removed the small first aid kit I found in one of the backpacks and walked over to Robert and Mattie. As I approached them Roberts face fell. He knew he was in for a long night.

3rd Person POV

"Hss," Robert moaned and inhaled sharply as Jed and Mattie began to remove his layers of jackets and shirt, ever so slightly jarring his ribs.

"I'm sorry," Mattie mumbled. He could not stop apologizing for causing his friend even the most minimal amount of pain.

" 'S ok"

"Mattie, can you go get a flashlight please. I want to see how bad it is." Robert's face paled at the statement from Jed, but then Jed placed a gentle hand on Robert's shoulder and reassured him that all would be well. Mattie then returned with the flashlight and handed it to Jed who began to shine it all over Robert's chest. It all looked worse in the light. The bruises from falling combined with the broken bones had caused large portions of his torso to turn black and blue.

"I need you to tell me if this hurts. Can you do that for me Robert?"

"…Ok Jed"

Jed reached out towards Robert's ribs and began to gently put pressure in different areas. Robert flinched afew times but never cried out. As Jed was about to finish, his hand set over a particularly large bruise; he gently applied pressure and as his hand touched down Robert began to tear up.

"Stop!" Robert cried out and Jed pulled his hand away.

"Well, it looks like you fractured these three ribs," Jed stated while pointing toward the left side of Robert's body, "and broke these two," he finished lamely.

"That sucks" Jed couldn't even tell if it was Mattie or Robert talking. He was amazed by the trouble Robert had got himself into.

"Mattie come help me wrap him up." The two brothers got to work and finished quickly. The sent Robert to bed with tear tracks running down his


End file.
